The Quick Guide to Reading in Color

Friday, November 13, 2009

New Crayons

Yes I went to the library today! These books all look very promising. Unfortunately my library doesn't have Rain is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith and Sweetgrass Basket was checked out.

Sacajawea by Joseph Bruchac

Young Sacajawea has been asked to join Lewis and Clark in their exploration of the American West. As a translator, peacemaker, caretaker, and guide, Sacajawea made the historic journey of Lewis and Clark possible. This captivating novel which alternates between the points of view of Sacajawea and William Clark provides an intimate glimpse into what it would have been like to witness firsthand this fascinating time in our history.

-I want to learn more about Sacajawea. It's classified on Amazon as 9-12 but it was in the YA section of my library, so I'm going to presume younger kids could read this. Joseph Bruchac is a very well-known writer of Abneki and Slovak heritage. Read an interview by Cynthia Leitich Smith here

Sorceress by Celia Rees

It came to Agnes unbidden: a vision of Mary Newbury, a young woman driven from her Puritan settlement, accused of being a witch. It is an image of a life about to change radically, as Mary defies all accepted norms — embracing independence, love, and loyalty to a Native American community that accepts her as one of their own. The two women’s lives are separated by almost four hundred years, but they are linked by more than blood. For, like Mary, Agnes has special powers — powers that Mary seeks to ensure that the rest of her story is told.

-This is the sequel to Witch Child, which I read and liked. I like Celia Rees and currently Pirates (one of my favorite and most loved books of all time) is my favorite book of hers (it's going to be reviewed here probably in the summer since I'd be re-reading it and it's older). I loved it. I've already started Sorceress and it's really good so far.

Code Talker: a Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac

The United States is at war, and sixteen-year-old Ned Begay wants to join the cause—especially when he hears that Navajos are being specifically recruited by the Marine Corps. So he claims he’s old enough to enlist, breezes his way through boot camp, and suddenly finds himself involved in a top-secret task, one that’s exclusively performed by Navajos. He has become a code talker. Now Ned must brave some of the heaviest fighting of the war, and with his native Navajo language as code, send crucial messages back and forth to aid in the conflict against Japan. His experiences in the Pacific—from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima and beyond—will leave him forever changed.

-A male classmate of mine read this book and loved it. I kept meaning to read it but never got around to it. It's just what I need to read after I Am Apache, some good ol' historical fiction.

Who Will Tell my Brother? by Marlene Carvell

Evan is a typical high-school student who suffers the same worries and anxieties as his peers . . . and then some. Determined to sway high-school officials to remove disparaging Indian mascots, he assumes a struggle that spirals him onto a soul-searching journey and exposes him to a barrage of bullying, taunts, and escalating violence. Marlene Carvell’s striking first novel is a timely look at a true story of a mixed-race teen caught up in an exploration of his past, his culture, and his identity.

-Recommended read on readergirlz and I trust their judgement, so I'm eager to read this (and it reminded of me of the battle to have the Illini mascot removed, an Indian chief).

March Toward Thunder by Joseph Bruchac

Louis Nolette is a fifteen-year-old Abenaki Indian from Canada who is recruited to fight in the northern Irish Brigade in the war between the states. Even though he is too young, and not American or Irish, he finds the promise of good wages and the Union's fight to end slavery persuasive reasons to join up. But war is never what you expect, and as Louis fights his way through battle after battle, he encounters prejudice and acceptance, courage and cowardice, and strong and weak leadership in the most unexpected places.

-I'm super excited to read this since the Civil War is one of my favorite eras of history to read about and I know nothing about the history of Native Americans fighting in the Civil War (also we're starting the Civil War soon in history class so I need to be prepared!). I'm pretty sure I'm going to really like the work of Joseph Bruchac, I've read only good things about his books and they've been recommended to me many times (he has over 140 books published!).

Oo! I completely forgot about Sorceress. It should be added to my multicultural fantasy book list. I liked it, but I actually liked Witch Child more. It's been years since I read them, so I'm not even sure what I liked about Witch Child more--probably the historical setting.

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Reading in Color Wishlist

See also my GoodReads to-read list, since I own almost none of the books on there. If you own any of these books and want to trade for them (or just give them away! hee hee) then please contact me! This list is in no particular order.

My Review Policy

I'm happy to review books that are sent to me when I can. Contact me if you want me to review your book willbprez (at) aol (dot) com

I prefer to review YA books about people of color. Occasionally, I will review a book with a white main character, but odds are, that I will decline.

However, I do NOT review blog novels or e-books. Sorry!

Furthermore, I will ALWAYS review books honestly so if you only want a positive review, that's not me. I blog with integrity.

Reading in Color Ratings & Explanations

5/5=<3 A.Must.Read. Preferably buy it, but if you can't or don't want to, go to the library! The book was amazing. 'Nuff said

4/5=Excellent. Great read. Strongly recommended to read.

3/5=Liked it. Good characters, plot, etc. Read it if you want to be entertained and aren't very nitpicky.

2/5=Decent. Hit or Miss. If you see it, read it, but don't go out of your way to look for it. Don't read if you only like really, really good books.

1/5=One or two ok things about this book. Disappointing. Hopefully the next one by the author will be better! I hope I never have to give a book this review :(

"IQ" stands for Incredible Quote. It's one of my favorite lines from the book. I pick one that really stands out, whether it's funny, inspirational or deep.

"Off-Color" a review of a book that does not have a poc in it. These will be rare and far in between. Uusally they will have a poc as a secondary character or be authored by a poc even if the mc isn't a poc.